Young IPWEA

Hi everyone,

I am currently drafting up the Young IPWEA Action Plan for 2014-2016 to hopefully be approved by the Australasian Board in October. The idea is that the Chair will have a two year term, and therefore own the action plan for that term and then the incoming Chair will create a new plan for their term.

In November we have the Australasian meeting of all the divisonal representatives where we will flesh out the below goals and establish how each division will work towards achieving them at a divisional level (and also how we will measure our success). As mentioned, these are only draft and will be finalised by November, however it would be great if I could get your feedback if you think anything is missing or if there is something in particular you would like to see happen.

1. Establish a NZ Young IPWEA chapter
2. Have a voting young member on the Australasian Board (and also at divisional level)
3. Work closer with the foundations to promote the initiative in regional centres
4. Formalise links with Young Engineers Australia
5. Identify key career days and provide presentations (schools and university)
6. Work with LG's and ALGA (and equivalent in NZ) to change their community perceptions to increase the attractivness to young professionals
7. Increase the involvement with the state government (and equivalent in NZ) bodies
8. Implement the mentoring program (as being developed in WA)

Honest thoughts are good, if you think something should be changed please speak up!

Cheers

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Kim Sedgwick
Operations Manager (Systems)
ARRB Group
Vermont South VIC

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Morning Kim,

Good to see some movement on the horizon.

I don't think there's anything in particular I have to add, but I'd like to throw my support particularly behind goals 3,4 and 5. It is these areas that I think our strength will be advantageous.

It has been mentioned how poorly the Foundation's scholarships have been taken up in previous years (in NSW at least) and the flow on from this is that younger staff have not enjoyed or benefited from the opportunities that I and others on this list have in attending conferences (even if I did miss out on Darwin!). With a strong membership base of younger engineers we are in the perfect position to advertise and advocate these opportunities.

With regard to Goal 5, in my very first encounter with LG in a quasi-professional capacity (it was an interview for my first internship at uni), I had no idea what was involved in LG engineering. My experience was not unique and this is something we have to change which is why this goal should be right up there on the priority list. IMO, hitting kids once they're in uni is often too late. Their perception of engineering is the big multi-million dollar, high-profile projects like the west connex, Barangaroo development, latest Rio Tinto endeavor etc. That perception is firmly planted in their future view. Instead we need to be advocating to kids in their last few years of school. Preferably early enough to steer them into the right subjects for uni, but at the very least to open their eyes to the fantastic opportunities that LG engineering presents.

And finally we have to acknowledge that not all the issues we face are unique to LG or public works and this is where I believe it will be important to develop a sound relationship with Young EA.

I know I haven't really added anything, but I hope at the very least this will provide some validation to what you have proposed!

Cheers,
Will

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William Barton
Deputy Engineer
Junee Shire Council
JUNEE NSW

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Hi Will,

Thanks for the feedback! Agree with everything you have mentioned.

I met with the National Chair of Young EA last week which was great. They are essentially set up the same way as Young IPWEA, and also have a few groups which run off EA i.e. Water, which focus more specificially on certain professions. Complexitiy is that Public Works generally cuts across the majority of the professions, and we need to find a medium ground to work together (since both groups want to increase membership!). I will be getting the Young IPWEA divisional chairs in touch with their counterparts in Young EA and from a divisional level we are able to co-ordinate events and other activities. Also, we will hopefully start working with other young professional bodies like AITPM, Water Engineers etc.

Agree with what you have said regarding Goal 5, in the action plan (in draft) I have outlined a few ways to help with this even from just a simple marketing investment.

More to come as I work through the plan with the Board!

Cheers
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Kim Sedgwick
Chair, Young IPWEA
Operations Manager (Systems)
ARRB Group
Vermont South VIC

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Original Message:
Sent: 12-09-2013 20:48
From: William Barton
Subject: 2014-2016 Action Plan

Morning Kim,

Good to see some movement on the horizon.

I don't think there's anything in particular I have to add, but I'd like to throw my support particularly behind goals 3,4 and 5. It is these areas that I think our strength will be advantageous.

It has been mentioned how poorly the Foundation's scholarships have been taken up in previous years (in NSW at least) and the flow on from this is that younger staff have not enjoyed or benefited from the opportunities that I and others on this list have in attending conferences (even if I did miss out on Darwin!). With a strong membership base of younger engineers we are in the perfect position to advertise and advocate these opportunities.

With regard to Goal 5, in my very first encounter with LG in a quasi-professional capacity (it was an interview for my first internship at uni), I had no idea what was involved in LG engineering. My experience was not unique and this is something we have to change which is why this goal should be right up there on the priority list. IMO, hitting kids once they're in uni is often too late. Their perception of engineering is the big multi-million dollar, high-profile projects like the west connex, Barangaroo development, latest Rio Tinto endeavor etc. That perception is firmly planted in their future view. Instead we need to be advocating to kids in their last few years of school. Preferably early enough to steer them into the right subjects for uni, but at the very least to open their eyes to the fantastic opportunities that LG engineering presents.

And finally we have to acknowledge that not all the issues we face are unique to LG or public works and this is where I believe it will be important to develop a sound relationship with Young EA.

I know I haven't really added anything, but I hope at the very least this will provide some validation to what you have proposed!

Cheers,
Will

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William Barton
Deputy Engineer
Junee Shire Council
JUNEE NSW

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